Medianama: India's digital protection for minors lags behind other BRICS nations

Medianama's 'Talking Points' newsletter for August highlights significant disparities in online protection for minors among BRICS nations. The report indicates that India is the sole major BRICS member that does not distinguish between a six-year-old and a seventeen-year-old under its digital regulations. This approach diverges sharply from practices in countries like China, Indonesia, and Brazil, which have established age-specific limitations and oversight mechanisms.

India's new Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act) categorizes all individuals under 18 as a single group, without imposing varying rules for younger and older teenagers. This contrasts with the strategies adopted by other nations, which aim to offer more targeted protection to children and adolescents at different developmental stages.

The situation becomes particularly noteworthy as India prepares to host the BRICS summit in 2026. While India's agenda includes critical topics ranging from healthcare and agriculture to innovation and security, the online safety of children is not officially listed as a priority. Analysts consider this a substantial omission, especially when compared to other BRICS countries that have already developed more detailed regulatory frameworks.

The report also touches upon Meta's recent settlement with U.S. states, involving billions in penalties and stricter teen regulations, questioning whether this could set a new global standard for protecting minors online. Additionally, it discusses the application of facial recognition technology and Google's updated spam policies in the European Union, noting that these changes will not affect Indian publishers.